Golf practice apparatus



Aug. 22, 1933. KQHN 1,923,152

GOLF PRACTICE APPARATUS Filed Oct. 29. 1950 luvs/v r02 Dar/0 K0/7/7 ATTORNEYS I,

Patented Aug. 22, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE v My invention more particularly relates to a miniature golf practice apparatus which requires the same efficiency for scoring that would normallyberequiredonaregulargolfcourse and which simulates the play of such a course.

My invention will best be understood by reference to the accompanying drawing in which I have illustrated the preferred embodiment of my invention and in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a golf practice apparatus embodying my invention, and Fig. 2 is a vertical section therethrough.

Referring to the drawing, 10 indicates generally a target comprising a plurality of spaced rings, 11, 12, 13 and 14 preferably generally elliptical in form and lying substantially in the same plane and which are preferably inclined as indicated in Fig. 2. v

The outer ring, 11, is supported as by clamping members, 15, on standards, 16 which in turn are supported on a base member, 17.

The ring, 12, is supported by the ring, 11, through connecting members, 18, the ring, 13, from the ring, 12, by members, 19, and the inner ring, 14, from the ring,'13, by members, 20.

The rings, 11, 12, 13, and 14, are preferably generally elliptical in form with the major axis of each of the rings vertically disposed. The

' spaces between the lower portions of the adjacent rings are preferably greater than that between the upper portions of adjacent rings for a purpose which will hereinafter appear. For example, the space, 21, between the lower portions of the rings, 11, and 12, is greater than the space, 22, between the upper portions thereof.

A net, 23,- is connected to the outer ring, 11, and extends rearwardly therefrom, somewhat in the shape of an oyster shell, as indicated in Fig. 2, the lowermost portion of the net extending .below the lowermost portion of the ring. Similarly nets, 24, 25, and 26, are connected to the rings, 12, 13, and 14, respectively and extend rearwardly therefrom and are festooned or sag below the lowermost portion of the associated ring, the front edges of all of the nets thus lying in the same plane.

A vertically disposed partition member, 2'1, which may be formed of a screen, is attached to the mid portions of the rings, 11, 12, 13, and 14, and extends rearwardly therefrom, to, and is preferably attached to, the nets, 23, 24, 25, and 26.

The nets, 23, 24, 25 and 26, are provided with respective openings, 28, 29, 30 and 31, and with respective chutes, 32, 33, 34 and 35, which in turn lead to an area, 36, simulating a putting green located, in the embodiment illustrated, at the rear of the practice device as indicated in Fig. 2, the chutes serving to maintain the associated nets in their extended positions, as indicated in Fig. 2. The hole for the green is indicated at 3'1.

The area, 38, in front of the practice device may indicate a fairway and is provided with a tee, 39, formed, for example, of coco mat. The

' fairway is preferably the same width as the target.

The target 10, comprising the rings, is surrounded by a screen structure, 40, provided with laterally and forwardly extending wings, 41.

The bottom portions of the screens, 40 and 41,

are provided at their bottom portions with inwardly extending flanges, 42 and 43, which are turned upwardly at their edges and serve to convey any balls that are driven against the screens, 40 and 41, to conduits, 44, and chutes, 45.

This screen 40 can be made in various shapes and sectioned to back the target 10, as representing traps, or water or other hazards with penalty for entering same based on actual golf play. A ball hit in this area can pass through its respective chute to a position on the green.

It will, of course, be understood that the green, 36, located at the rear of the target or practice device may be located in front thereof if desired for the sake of compactness.

A vertically extending net, 46, is preferably provided and located beneath the target, 10, to catch any balls that are topped and thus tend to run along the ground.

A suitable device, 47, indicating a hazard, such as a bunker, is preferably secured to the outer ring, 11, and extends upwardly therefrom. The device, 47, is preferably movable along the ring, 11, to any desired position.

The operation and use of the device embodying my invention will readily be understood from the foregoing description and is as follows:

A golf ball isteed up on the tee, 39, and the player selects a suitable club, for example, a mashie or mashie niblick and hits the ball. In actual golf the following conditions are conducive to low scoring:

1. Clean hitting of the ball.

. 2. Accuracy of direction.

3. Judgment of distance.

The rings to which the nets are attached are made oval as indicated, the width of the outer ring being substantially the same width as the fairway. The control of the direction is more important than the distance, and the player is accordingly penalized to a greater extent if the ball be driven off from the fairway, that is to the right or left of the target, than would be the case if the ball were driven above or below the desired-point. When a ball is pitched to the right or left of the target, the distance from.

the pin would be greatly increased on the course.

Furthermore, when the ball is pitched above the target, in a golf game it would mean that the ball would go over the green which practically always means a penalty, whereas, on the other hand, if the ball is short of the target, it means that in a golf game the ball would be short of the green and the player has an opportunity to pitch the ball on to the green with a fair degree of certainty on the next shot.

By making the rings forming the openings through the nets elliptical in form and by eccentrically arranging them so that the space between the lower portion of a given ring and the next outer ring is greater than the distance between the upper portion of the inner ring and the outer ring, the practice game is made to simulate very closely the game as it is actually played. In other words, if the ball goes to the right or the left of the target any substantial amount the player is penalized as he would be in a regular game; furthermore, if the ball is pitched above the target he is likewise penalized to a greater extent than he would be if the ball is pitched short of the target.

I have found that the best position for the inner net, 26, which is the one in which a perfectly driven ball is received, is about twothirds of the distance from the ground to the top of the target or practice device.

The scoring may be something as follows: on par four holes, the golf practice device may be as shown in Fig. 1, in which a golf ball entering net, 26, scores one stroke; entering net 25, 2 strokes; net 24, 3 strokes and net 23, 4 strokes. On par five holes, a ball entering net, 26, might score two strokes, net 25, three strokes, net 24, four strokes and net 23, five strokes.

In case of a par three hole, the net 24 may be left out, and a ball entering net 26 would count one stroke, net 25, two strokes, and net 23, three strokes. The chutes, 32, 33, 34 and 35, which convey the balls from the respective nets to the putting green preferably leave the ball at approximately the same distance from the hole, so that by adding to the number of strokes required at the target the number of puts required on the green will give the total score for a given hole. For example, if the ball enters the net, 24, which counts as two strokes and two puts are required, then the player must score four for the hole.

The game usually requires a layout of nine, eighteen or more devices corresponding to the number of holes to be played.

A golf ball hit into the net surrounding the target, or net 46, penalizes the player one stroke, so that when he again tees his ball, he is playing two. If the ball is hit into the hazard, 47, the player is also penalized as, for example, by adding an additional stroke to his score. If the ball hits the frame, the player again plays the ball without penalty.

I have found the following proportions suitable for the device embodying my invention: when the tee is at a distance of twelve feet from the practice device, then the outside largest ring, 11, is 42 inches wide and 54 inches high; the ring, 12, may be 30 inches wide and 36 inches high; the ring, 13, may be 15 inches wide and 18 inches high and the ring, 14, 5% inches wide and 6% inches high. Preferably, the ring should be increased approximately one inch to each foot added to the length of the tee from the practice device and is, of course, decreased proportionately if brought nearer thereto. With the dimensions given above the net, 46, may be approximately 9 inches high so that the lowermost edge of the ring, 11, is about nine inches from the ground. The device is, therefore, one that may readily be used in the home for the improvement of ones golf game.

While I have described my invention in its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood the words which I have used are words of description rather than of limitation and that changes within the purview of the appended claims may be made without departing from the true scope and spirit of my invention in its broader aspects.

What I claim is- 1. In a golf practice device, a plurality of nested nets formed of flexible material and arranged one within the other and having their front portions generally elliptical in form and eccentrically arranged and lying in substantially the same plane, the center of a given ellipse being located above that of the adjacent outer ring, and means for conveying balls from the respective nets, each of said nets extending rearwardly from the front edge thereof and the lowermost portion of each of said nets being located below the lowest portion of its front edge.

2. In a golf practice device, a plurality of nested nets formed of flexible material and arranged one within the other and having their front portions generally elliptical in form and eccentrically arranged and lying in substantially the same plane, the center of a given ellipse being located above that of the adjacent outer ring, and means for conveying balls from the respective nets, each of said nets extending rearwardly from the front edge thereof and the lowermost portion of each of said nets being located below the lowest portion of its front edge, and chutes communicating with the lowest portion of the respective nets for conveying the balls therefrom.

3. In a golf practice device, a plurality of vertically disposed annular pockets arranged one within the other and generally elliptical in form, the major axes of the ellipses extending vertically, the openings to said pockets being eccentrically arranged, the center of a given opening being located above that of the adjacent surrounding opening.

4. In a golf practice device, a plurality of vertically disposed rings generally elliptical in form arranged eccentrically one within the other and secured to each other, and located in substantially the same plane, means for supporting said rings, and flexible nets secured to the respective from.

5. In a golf practice device, a-plurality of vertically disposed rings generally elliptical in form arranged eccentrically one within the other and secured to each other, the center of a given ring being located above that of the adjacent outer ring means for supporting said rings, and flexible nets secured to the respective rings and extending rearwardly therefrom, the lowermost portion of each net being located below the lowermost portion of the associated ring thereby forming a pocket for balls.

DAVID. KOHN.

rings and extending rearwardly there- 

